Customer Reviews

FryeDakota Crepe Plain Toe

Good looking boot and really comfortable right out of the box. I had to buy this boot a half size smaller than my other four Frye brand boots for some reason, and even still it's a bit loose; however, using an insole helped with that.

I wanted a boot comparable to Red Wing's Beckman boot, and I found this style while perusing Zappos. I decided on these over the Beckman's because the Red Wing's toe shape was too round and clown shoe-like for my taste. I had tried the Beckmans on at a local Red Wing store -- they definitely oozed of quality craftsmanship, but I just felt that the toe shape was too retro/clown shoe-like. I debated a bit over buying American-made Red Wing or these Chinese-made Frye boots; the higher cost difference of the Red Wings wasn't really a factor. Out of the box, these boots were comfortable enough to wear the whole day, during the first wearing. They were just a tad stiff, but they conformed nicely to my feet and are easy to get on and laced up. I usually wear a 10.5 or 11, and I ordered the 10.5. Fit is great; no heel slip, good arch support, comfortable toe box, perfect width-wise. I really like the crepe sole just like the soles on Clarks desert boots; very quiet, comfortable and fairly long-wearing. The leather is tumbled to give it just a bit more texture than the smooth leather found on other boots, like the Beckman. This texture gives the boot a bit more interest, as do the antiqued brass hexagonal eyelets and speed lace hooks. Overall, this is a nice looking boot, not too retro/heritage-looking, but a nice, manly work/combat boot style. My only reservation is the leather laces. They look pretty nice, but I doubt they will last a month, the way I lace my boots fairly tightly. My experience with leather laces is they break after a few dozen times. I would say these Frye Dakotas look better than the Red Wing Beckmans, especially in the toe shape. The leather seems a bit more compliant right out of the box, too, and I really like the texture that tumbled leather has. The build quality seems on par with other boots in the same price range.